Star Turn continued the build up to the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale with 8 individual winners over the Christmas – Boxing Day festive season.
The Vinery stallion has 9 yearlings prepping for the Magic Millions and their prospects were enhanced by his recent black-type winners Me Me Lagarde (Qld Tatts Classic LR), Saltaire (Inglis 2YO Nursery RL) and Alsephina (Starstruck Classic LR).
Saltaire’s in-form full-sister Avolonte capped the winning run with an all-the-way victory in the Ladbrokes Hcp (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Wednesday. She was going back-to-back after catching Wuddacuddashudda (All Too Hard) right on the line at the Gold Coast earlier this month.
“She has turned the corner with the addition of blinkers and is racing a lot more tractably,” Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick said. “We will head to a Saturday race with her now.”
Avolonte has won 6 races in 18 starts for a syndicate managed by Archer Park’s Chris Wessel who has raced numerous feature winners over the years. Among the best has been Crack Me Up, an ATC Villiers Stakes (Gr.2, 1600m) winner for Vinery sire Mossman in 2017.
The sisters are from Testa Sarah (Testa Rossa) and were bred by Bernard and Lawrence Stapleton. The mare’s latest foal is a yearling colt by All Too Hard.
Adelaide sprinter Saskatoon began Star Turn’s holiday feast in the TAB Hcp (1400m) at Murray Bridge on Saturday. Both horse and his rider (Jake Toeroek) got the better of Metro Legend (Barend Vorster) after a ding-dong duel down the straight.
“I tried to get some cheap sectionals in front but Barend kept kicking up,” Toeroek revealed. “It kept us honest and then he raced so close in the straight I could only use the whip in my left-hand!
“Credit to my horse, too. His head is always in your face and he doesn’t win by much. But he’s tough and loves a fight.”
Saskatoon was bred by Kambula Stud and is trained by Richard & Chantelle Jolly for a syndicate managed by Seymour Bloodstock. His dam Berry Delicious (Blevic) is from a family of Perth 2yo Stakes winners and he was an $80,000 graduate from the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.
Star Turn unearthed a debut winner with potential on Boxing Day when his 3yo filly Overriding bolted in by three lengths in the Horsepower Provincial Maiden (1200m) at Newcastle.
“She has lots of upside to win straight off the bat like that,” part-owner and trainer Nathan Doyle said. “It was a lovely ride by Ash (Morgan) to position her midfield with cover. She peeled off heels and then let down like a smart filly.”
Overriding was purchased by Doyle and Oxford Lodge Bloodstock for $35,000 from Baramul Stud at the 2021 Adelaide Magic Millions. Her dam My Hussy (Hussonet) has a yearling filly by Press Statement and her NZ-bred second-dam Platonic (Trustful) won a Cuddle Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m) at Trentham and a Summoned Stakes (LR, 1600m) at Sandown.
Baramul Stud has three Star Turn yearlings catalogued for the Gold Coast Magic Millions starting with the colt out of Divergence (Lot 1075) who is from the family of Magically (SAJC Yallambee Classic Gr.2)
